Door construction

ABSTRACT

A door construction that can be used to provide access to a chamber that can alternatively be used as a garage for a vehicle or as living quarters. The construction includes a hollow door frame that defines a door opening. A door, located in the opening, has a panel that is movable between a closed and an open position to provide access through the door when the chamber is used as living quarters. A pin, secured to each of the opposite side ends of the door, extends into the hollow door frame and an operating mechanism, located entirely within the hollow door frame, is constructed to move the pins so as to move the door between a closed position wherein the door closes the opening and an open position wherein the vehicle may pass through the door opening. The operating mechanism includes a gear fixedly mounted to each pin, a rack, fixed to the door frame, in mesh with each gear, a lifting block, to which each pin is rotatably mounted, mounted for heightwise movement, a reversible motor, and flexible chains and cables extending from the motor to each of the lifting blocks.

United States Patent [1 1 Schoonover et a].

[ Nov. 27, 1973 DOOR CONSTRUCTION [76] Inventors: John'R. Schoonover; Patrick M.

Northrip, both of 242 Perkins M A n ,W lmette 5 22 Filed: rmzs, 1972 211 App]. No.: 228,503

Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey AttorneyD. Paul Weaver et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A door construction that can be used to provide access to a chamber that can alternatively be used as a garage for a vehicle or as living quarters. The construction includes a hollow door frame that defines a door opening. A door, located in the opening, has a panel that is movable between a closed and an open position to provide access through the door when the chamber is used as living quarters, A pin, secured to each of the opposite side ends of the door, extends into the hollow door frame and an operating mechanism, located entirely within the hollow door frame, is constructed to move the pins so as to move the door between a closed position wherein the door closes the opening and an open position wherein the vehicle may pass through the door opening. The operating mechanism includes a gear fixedly mounted to each pin, a rack, fixed to the door frame, in mesh with each gear, a lifting block, to which each pin is rotatably mounted,

mounted for heightwise movement, a reversible motor, and flexible chains and cables extending from the motor to each of the lifting blocks.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Nov. 27, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Nov. 27, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

noon CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the prior art, as illustrated in US. Pat. No. 2,905,980, to provide a panel in a garage door so that access may be had through the door by opening the panel without opening the entire door. This arrangement is particularly useful when the door provides access to a chamber that is alternatively used as a garage for a vehicle or for living quarters. However, when the door is used as access to living quarters, it is undesirable to have the mechanism for opening and closing the door visible as this detracts from the appearance of the chamber.

It is also known in the prior art, as exemplified by US. Pats. Nos. 2,054,735 and 2,220,656, to so construct a garage door that it may move between a closed vertical position and a raised open prone position by swinging the entire door about a horizontal axis during its rise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first aspect of the invention is concerned with a door having an openable panel therein so that the door may alternatively be used to provide access to a chamber used as a vehicle garage or as living quarters without detracting from the appearance of the chamber when it is used as living quarters. This is accomplished by making the door frame hollow, clamping a door moving member to each side end of the door that projects into the hollow of the door frame, and providing an operating mechanism located entirely within the hollow of the door frame for moving the door moving members so as to move the door between a closed and an open position.

A second aspect of the invention is concerned with an improved mechanism for moving the door between a closed vertical position and an open prone position with the door swinging about a horizontal axis during its rise. This is accomplished by fixedly connecting each of the door moving members, which take the form of pins and extend outwardly of the door sides, to a gear, meshing each gear to a heightwise extending rack, rotatably mounting each pin in a lifting block that is mounted for heightwise movement, and connecting each lifting block to a reversible drive mechanism which can effect heightwise movement of the lifting blocks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the door and the door frame;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a door frame in a building, the door frame being formed of a horizontal frame member and a pair of spaced vertical frame members 12 that depend from the member 10 so as to define an opening that provides access to a chamber in the building. The frame members 10 and 12 are hollow and communicate with each other. A front track 16 and a back track 18 are spacedly located in the hollows of each of the frame members 12 so as to extend vertically thereof (see FIGS. 2 and 3). A lifting block 20 is slidably mounted to and between each set of tracks l6, 18. A vertically extending rack 22 is secured to each front track 16. A door moving member in the form of a pivot pin 24 is rotatably mounted to each lifting block 20 and extends inwardly thereof. Each pin 24 has a gear 26 mounted thereto for rotation therewith, each gear 26 being in mesh with its associated rack 22. Each pin 24 extends through the inner wall of its associated frame member 12 through a vertically extending slot 28. The innermost end of each pin 24 abuts against the exterior of a side wall 30 of a door 32. A bolt 34 extends through each side wall 30 and is threaded into its associated pin 24 to thereby clamp each side wall 30 between the inner end of its associated pin 24 and the head of its associated bolt 34 which bears against the interior of the side wall. A washer 35 is mounted to each pin 24 and bears against the inner wall of its associated frame member 12. The door 32, as shown in FIG. 1, is formed of a pair of solid panels 36 and 38 and a panel 40 that is horizontally slidable on tracks 41 (FIG. 2) in a conventional manner so as to provide access through the door.

A reversible drive means in the form of a reversible slow speed electric motor 42 is mounted within the hollow of the frame member 10. A pair of sprockets 44 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 1) are mounted to the motor shaft for rotation therewith and a chain 46, forming a part of a flexible member, extends about each sprocket, each chain extending within the frame member 19 towards a different frame member 12. The ends of each chain 46 are connected to an end of a cable 48 that forms the rest of the flexible members.

The upper run of the chain 46 extending rightwardly and the lower run of the chain 46 extending leftwardly (FIG. 1) of the motor 42 are each connected to a cable portion that extends about apulley 50 that is secured to the frame member 10 and then extends downwardly within a frame member 12 between the tracks 16 and 18 and is secured to the top of a lifting block 20.

The lower run of the chain 46 extending rightwardly of the motor 42 and the upper run of the chain 46 extending leftwardly of the motor 42 are each connected to a cable portion that extends about a pulley 54 that is mounted to the frame member 10 and then downwardly through a passage in the form of a groove 56 (FIG. 2) in its associated track 18, then about a pulley 58 located below the tracks l6, l8, and then upwardly towards its associated track 16 wherein it is fixedly anchored to its associated track 16. A counterweight 60 is mounted to and extends downwardly of each pulley 58.

The door 32 is intended to be used, alternatively, as a garage door which when, in its open position, permits a vehicle to be driven into or out of the chamber or as an entryway for people when the chamber is to be used for living purposes as, for example, a family room. When the chamber is to be used for living purposes, the door 32 is retained in the vertical position of FIG. 1 and access through the door is attained by sliding the panel 40 rightwardly (FIG. 1) alongside the panel 36.

When the door 32 is intended to be used as a garage door, and assuming the door is in the closed FIG. 1 position, the motor 42 is operated so as to rotate the sprockets 44 counterclockwise (FIG. 1) to thereby cause the cables 48 to raise the lifting blocks 20 with the pins 24 moving upwardly through the slots 28. The rise of the pins 24 will cause the gears 26 to rotate along the racks 22 to thereby rotate the pins 24 thus rotating the side walls 30 so as to cause the door 32 to concurrently rise and swing to a prone position thus opening the door so as to permit a vehicle to pass therethrough. During the rising and swinging meovement of the door, the portions of the cables 48 that extend about the pulleys 58 are lowered, thus lowering the counterweights 60. The counterweights 60 provide tension and balance during the door opening operation and ensure a smooth operation. When the door 32 arrives at its desired open position, the motor 42 is turned off.

When the door 32 is to be returned from its upper prone position to the FIG. 1 vertical positon, the motor 42 is caused to rotate the sprockets 44 clockwise (FIG. 1) which will cause the door to concurrently descend and swing to its vertical position, after which the motor 42 is shut off. The counterweights 60 at this time perform the same function they performed during the opening of the door.

It is noted that all of the parts for raising and lowering the door 32, with the exception of the bolts 34 and the inner ends of the pins 24 are contained within the ho]- low frame members and 12 thereby providing a neat appearance for the door when the chamber is intended to be used for living purposes with the door lifting mechanism entirely contained within the hollow frame members. Thus, when the door is intended to provide access to living quarters, it has no lifting mechanism visible to detract from its appearance.

We claim:

1. A door construction that can be used to provide access to a chamber that can alternately be used as a garage for a vehicle or as living quarters comprising: a door frame formed of a pair of spaced hollow upright frame members and a hollow prone frame member that extends between the tops of the upright frame members, the hollows of said upright and prone members being in communication with each other and said upright and prone members defining a door opening; a door located within said opening; a panel mounted to the door for movement between open and closed positions so as to provide access therethrough when the chamber is used as living quarters; a side wall formed at each of the opposite side ends of the door; a door moving member secured to each side wall and extending outwardly thereof into the hollow of its associated upright frame member, wherein each of said door moving members comprises a pin clamped to each side wall and extending outwardly thereof into the hollow of its associated upright frame member; and wherein said operating means comprises: a gear mounted to each of said pins for rotation therewith; a heightwise extending rack, mounted to each upright frame members, in mesh with each gear, a lifting block, to which each pin is rotatably mounted, mounted for heightwise movement in each upright frame member, reversible drive means mounted to said prone frame member, and connecting means extending between the drive means and each of said lifting blocks to effect heightwise movement of the lifting blocks in response to operation of the drive means, wherein said connecting means comprises: a pair of flexible members drivingly connected to said drive means so as to move in response to operation of said drive means; means connecting one end of each of the flexible members to a lifting block; means connecting the other end of each of the flexible members to a fixed location in its associated upright frame member below its associated lifting block, said other ends of the flexible members extending upwardly of the fixed locations to the drive means; and a counterweight mounted to each of the flexible members adjacent its associated fixed location; operating means located entirely within the hollows of said frame members so constructed so as to move the door moving members so as to move the door between a closed position wherein it closes the opening and an open position wherein access for passage of the vehicle through the opening is provided, wherein said operating means is so constructed, when moving the door from said closed position to said open position to concurrently raise and rotate the door moving members, and when moving the door from said open position to said closed position, to concurrently lower and rotate the door moving members to thereby move the door between a closed vertical position and a raised open prone position, the door construction further comprising: spaced first and second heightwise extending tracks mounted to each of said upright frame members so constructed as to slidably guide the lifting blocks therebetween for their heightwise movements; means mounting each of said other ends of the flexible members to the bottom of its associated first track to thereby provide said fixed locations; a passage extending heightwise through each of said second tracks, said other ends of the flexible members extending from the bottoms of the first tracks to the bottoms of the second tracks and then upwardly through the passages; and means mounting the counterweights to the flexible members between the bottoms of the first and second tracks.

2. A door construction comprising: a door frame formed of a pair of spaced upright frame members and a prone frame member that extends between the tops of the upright frame members, said upright and prone members defining a door opening; a door located within said opening; a side wall formed at each of the opposite side ends of the door; a pin clamped to each side wall and extending outwardly thereof; a gear mounted to each of said pins for rotation therewith; a heightwise extending rack, mounted to each upright frame member, in mesh with each gear; a lifting block, to which each pin is rotatably mounted, mounted for heightwise movement with respect to each upright frame member; reversible drive means mounted to said door frame; and connecting means extending between the drive means and each of said lifting blocks to effect heightwise movement of the lifting blocks in response to operation of the drive means, said connecting means comprising: a pair of flexible members drivingly connected to said drive means so as to move in response to operation of said drive means; means connecting one end of each of the flexible members to a lifting block; means connecting the other end of each of the flexible members to a fixed location in its associated upright frame member below its associated lifting block, said other ends of the flexible members extending upwardly of the fixed locations to the drive means; and a counterweight mounted to each of the flexible members adjacent its associated fixed location; whereby the door may be moved by the drive means between a closed vertical position and a raised open prone position, the door construction further comprising: spaced first and second heightwise extending tracks mounted to each of said upright frame members so constructed as to slidably guide the lifting blocks the rebetween for their heightwise movements; means mounting each of said other ends of the flexible members to the bottoms of itsassociated first track means to thereby provide said fixed locations; a passage extending heightwise through each of said second tracks; said other ends of the flexible members extending from the bottoms of the first tracks to the bottom of the second tracks and then upwardly through the passages; and means mounting the counterweights to the flexible members between the bottoms of the first and second tracks.

3. A door construction comprising:

a door frame including horizontally spaced upright frame members having tops and a prone frame member spanning the tops, said frame members defining a door opening;

a door including door side walls mounted within the opening;

pin means extending from the door side walls;

gears fixedly secured to the pins, the gears and pins being rotatable together;

lift block means for each gear, said lift block means rotatably receiving said pins;

track means secured to the upright frame members having opposed guides therein for reception of said lift block means and guide means spaced therefrom for reception of said gears, said gear guide means including rack means dperatively associated with said gears, thereby providing rectilinear guidance for said lift block means and said gears;

a reversible drive assembly secured to the door frame;

flexible members linking the lift block means and the reversible drive assembly; and

counterweight means slidably engaged with said flexible members for maintaining tension in said flexible member and balance of said door during opening and closing movement, said counterweight means being disposed beneath said lift block means, whereby the door is moved by the reversible drive assembly between a closed vertical positon and a raised open prone position. 

1. A door construction that can be used to provide access to a chamber that can alternately be used as a garage for a vehicle or as living quarters comprising: a door frame formed of a pair of spaced hollow upright frame members and a hollow prone frame member that extends between the tops of the upright frame members, the hollows of said upright and prone members being in communication with each other and said upright and prone members defining a door opening; a door located within said opening; a panel mounted to the door for movement between open and closed positions so as to provide access therethrough when the chamber is used as living quarters; a side wall formed at each of the opposite side ends of the door; a door moving member secured to each side wall and extending outwardly thereof into the hollow of its associated upright frame member, wherein each of said door moving members comprises a pin clamped to each side wall and extending outwardly thereof into the hollow of its associated upright frame member; and wherein said operating means comprises: a gear mounted to each of said pins for rotation therewith; a heightwise extending rack, mounted to each upright frame members, in mesh with each gear, a lifting block, to which each pin is rotatably mounted, mounted for heightwise movement in each upright frame member, reversible drive means mounted to said prone frame member, and connecting means extending between the drive means and each of said lifting blocks to effect heightwise movement of the lifting blocks in response to operation of the drive means, wherein said connecting means comprises: a pair of flexible members drivingly connected to said drive means so as to move in response to operation of said drive means; means connecting one end of each of the flexible members to a lifting block; means connecting the other end of each of the flexible members to a fixed location in its associated upright frame member below its associated lifting block, said other ends of the flexible members extending upwardly of the fixed locations to the drive means; and a counterweight mounted to each of the flexible members adjacent its associated fixed location; operating means located entirely within the hollows of said frame members so constructed so as to move the door moving membErs so as to move the door between a closed position wherein it closes the opening and an open position wherein access for passage of the vehicle through the opening is provided, wherein said operating means is so constructed, when moving the door from said closed position to said open position to concurrently raise and rotate the door moving members, and when moving the door from said open position to said closed position, to concurrently lower and rotate the door moving members to thereby move the door between a closed vertical position and a raised open prone position, the door construction further comprising: spaced first and second heightwise extending tracks mounted to each of said upright frame members so constructed as to slidably guide the lifting blocks therebetween for their heightwise movements; means mounting each of said other ends of the flexible members to the bottom of its associated first track to thereby provide said fixed locations; a passage extending heightwise through each of said second tracks, said other ends of the flexible members extending from the bottoms of the first tracks to the bottoms of the second tracks and then upwardly through the passages; and means mounting the counterweights to the flexible members between the bottoms of the first and second tracks.
 2. A door construction comprising: a door frame formed of a pair of spaced upright frame members and a prone frame member that extends between the tops of the upright frame members, said upright and prone members defining a door opening; a door located within said opening; a side wall formed at each of the opposite side ends of the door; a pin clamped to each side wall and extending outwardly thereof; a gear mounted to each of said pins for rotation therewith; a heightwise extending rack, mounted to each upright frame member, in mesh with each gear; a lifting block, to which each pin is rotatably mounted, mounted for heightwise movement with respect to each upright frame member; reversible drive means mounted to said door frame; and connecting means extending between the drive means and each of said lifting blocks to effect heightwise movement of the lifting blocks in response to operation of the drive means, said connecting means comprising: a pair of flexible members drivingly connected to said drive means so as to move in response to operation of said drive means; means connecting one end of each of the flexible members to a lifting block; means connecting the other end of each of the flexible members to a fixed location in its associated upright frame member below its associated lifting block, said other ends of the flexible members extending up-wardly of the fixed locations to the drive means; and a counterweight mounted to each of the flexible members adjacent its associated fixed location; whereby the door may be moved by the drive means between a closed vertical position and a raised open prone position, the door construction further comprising: spaced first and second heightwise extending tracks mounted to each of said upright frame members so constructed as to slidably guide the lifting blocks the rebetween for their heightwise movements; means mounting each of said other ends of the flexible members to the bottoms of its associated first track means to thereby provide said fixed locations; a passage extending heightwise through each of said second tracks; said other ends of the flexible members extending from the bottoms of the first tracks to the bottom of the second tracks and then upwardly through the passages; and means mounting the counterweights to the flexible members between the bottoms of the first and second tracks.
 3. A door construction comprising: a door frame including horizontally spaced upright frame members having tops and a prone frame member spanning the tops, said frame members defining a door opening; a door including door side walls mounted within the opening; pin means extending from the door side walls; gears fixedly secured to The pins, the gears and pins being rotatable together; lift block means for each gear, said lift block means rotatably receiving said pins; track means secured to the upright frame members having opposed guides therein for reception of said lift block means and guide means spaced therefrom for reception of said gears, said gear guide means including rack means operatively associated with said gears, thereby providing rectilinear guidance for said lift block means and said gears; a reversible drive assembly secured to the door frame; flexible members linking the lift block means and the reversible drive assembly; and counterweight means slidably engaged with said flexible members for maintaining tension in said flexible member and balance of said door during opening and closing movement, said counterweight means being disposed beneath said lift block means, whereby the door is moved by the reversible drive assembly between a closed vertical positon and a raised open prone position. 